By CURTIS ROCKWELL

Item Sports Editor

POPLARVILLE — Poplarville’s Megan Ladner and East Central’s Linsey Dickerson faced off in a classic pitchers duel as the Class 4A South State semifinals got underway Thursday night.

Unfortunately for the home team, the visiting Lady Hornets figured out a way to score one run and that was the diference.

East Central pushed across a run in the third inning, and Dickerson and her defense made the single marker stand up as the visiting Lady Hornets beat the homestanding Lady Hornets 1-0 in game one of the best of three series.

Game two is set for Saturday afternoon at 5 in Hurley at ECHS, with game three, if needed, to follow.

“That’s two of the best pitchers in the state, and they showed it,” Poplarville head coach Jonathan Ray said. “Megan couldn’t have pitched much better. We hit some shots that were right at them, and they found a way to drop one in a perfect spot to set up their run. It was a classic example of the ball not bouncing our way tonight.”

East Central, ranked fourth in the state, moves to 26-3 with the win and has won 24 of its last 25 games. Poplarville, ranked second in the state, dropped to 25-4 with the loss.

Dickerson limited Poplarville to just three hits, one of them a two out triple to the right-center wall by Janessa Dedeaux in the sixth inning. Dickerson struck out the next batter to end the threat, though. Kayla Ross also had two hits.

Ladner allowed just four hits and struck out 10.

Not only did East Central’s defense play well behind Dickerson, but the visitors also plucked two Poplarville runners off base that were keys in the win as well as one was caught stealing and one picked off first base. The Lady Hornets have played the last three games without starter Allysa Graeter. East Central has now won five straight playoff games.

“It will be tough to go there and win two games,” Ray concluded. “But after the way we played tonight there’s no doubt in my mind we can do it.”